Pollinator Photography Competition
COMING SOON
The 2026 competition will open on Sunday, 30 August and close on Sunday, 25 October.
To complement the competition, the Schools Pollinator Art Competition, invites primary and secondary students to celebrate bees and other pollinators through creativity and art.
Find out more about the School Pollinator Art Competition here.
Follow the Wheen Bee Foundation on socials for the latest updates.
Please see full terms and conditions below.
The Pollinator Photography Competition encourages everyone to get out and capture images of bees and other pollinators in their local environment, whether it’s in a garden, park, school, on a nature strip or on a farm.
The competition will award prizes to the best pictures of bees and other pollinators taken in Australia as judged by the Australian Pollinator Week Pollinator Photography Competition Judging Panel.
The Pollinator Photography Competition runs alongside the School Pollinator Art Competition providing an accessible way for school-aged students to learn about pollinators. Find out more about the School Pollinator Art Competition here.
The Competition will close Sunday 25 October at 5pm AEDT.
Winners will be announced in the Pollinator Photography Webinar during Australian Pollinator Week on Thursday, 12 November at 7.30pm AEDT. Register here.
Please see full terms and conditions below.
People’s Choice Award
Cast your vote for the Wheen Bee Foundation’s Pollinator Photography Competition.
Prizes
- First place wins $1500
- Second place wins $750
- Third place wins $500
- People’s Choice wins $750
- Video Category winner wins $750
Pollinator Photography Webinar
Join a panel of experienced photographers as they share practical tips for capturing Australia’s pollinators and the stories behind some of their favourite images.
Learn how they approach photographing bees and other insects, including where and when to shoot, equipment and camera settings, and what makes a great pollinator photograph. There will also be an opportunity to ask the panel photography questions.
The webinar will also reveal the 2026 Pollinator Photography Competition winners, including the winning photographs and the inaugural Video Category winner.
Webinar Details:
Thu, 12 Nov, 7:30pm – 8:30pm AEDT
via Zoom Online
Registration is free.
Meet the Judges
The Pollinator Photography Competition judges bring expertise, creativity and a shared passion for pollinators.
Dr James Dorey
Entomologist, photographer and lecturer at the University of Wollongong, Dr James Dorey has combined a love of two fields to produce stunning images of insects with both scientific and artistic value.
Dr Dorey has released a book, Bees of Australia – A Photographic Exploration, published through CSIRO, as well as contributing to many respected magazines, journals, and awards. In 2022 he won the Botanical category in the Australian Geographic ANZANG photography competition.
Check out his stunning work: https://jamesdoreyphotography.com.au/
Angela Robertson-Buchanan
Photographer and advocate for invertebrates, Angela Robertson-Buchanan has loved insects since childhood. Her claim to fame came at age 17, when she discovered an unusual spider in the UK later confirmed to be a Moroccan species newly resident in England.
After moving to Australia, Angela became fascinated by its diverse invertebrate life and purchased a macro lens to capture it. Her passion grew during her time volunteering at an eco-lodge in the Peruvian Amazon, home to the world’s highest species count of butterflies and tarantulas.
Angela’s macro photography has won awards and featured in exhibitions, including at the Australian Museum and been on ABC Radio National.
Check out her work: https://www.angelarobertsonbuchanan.com/macro-wildlife-portfolio
Lauren Bos
How to enter:
The 2025 Pollinator Photography Competition will open on Monday 1st September 2025 and close Sunday 26 October, 5pm AEDT.
- Please complete the required fields below and upload your photo or video entry.
- You can enter multiple times, but only one photo or video per entry is allowed.
The 2026 Pollinator Photography Competition will close Sunday 25 October at 5pm AEDT.
Please see full terms and conditions below.
Competition coming soon.
The 2026 competition will open on Sunday, 30 August and close on Sunday, 25 October.
Sponsors
2026 Pollinator Photography Competition Terms and Conditions.
- The competition is run by Wheen Bee Foundation (ABN 84 139 073 082), 96 Harbours Rd Yendon Victoria 3352, Australia.
- Employees of the Wheen Bee Foundation including staff and freelance contributors, are not permitted to enter.
- Each photographer retains copyright of his or her images, and proper credit lines will be attributed to each photographer when used in any publicity of Australian Pollinator Week.
- The entrant authorises Wheen Bee Foundation and related programs and competition sponsors.
- To win the competition and be eligible to receive a prize, you must be an Australian citizen or current Australian resident. Prizes will only be delivered within Australia.
- The entrant must be the copyright owner of any images they enter into the competition.
- Any post-production and editing must be the work of the entrant.
- The entrant is responsible for obtaining all relevant model and/or property releases.
- The entrant indemnifies Wheen Bee Foundation against any claim, legal or otherwise, that may arise out of publication of the image.
- By entering the photograph into this competition, the entrant guarantees to Wheen Bee Foundation that the above entry requirements have been met.
- This is not a game of chance.
- The winner of the competition will be selected by the judging panel as appointed by Wheen Bee Foundation. The judge’s decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.
- The prize cannot be bartered and is not redeemable for any alternative.
- For school entries, any vouchers will be redeemable by a class teacher and not the individual student.